Apex War God

Yang Wu and Skinny Monkey had managed to shock every inmate in block 68. Fifty or sixty Foot Soldier prisoners from different areas arrived to pledge their loyalty to the two young men. Once these prisoners had a promise of protection from the two sworn brothers, they left to recruit more minions as well as a portion of the newcomers’ Scarlet Steel Rock bounty.

Unlike Wang Yan and Centipede, who had demanded a large portion of the prisoners’ hard-earned bounty, Skinny Monkey empathized with his followers. That being the case, he only asked for one-third of the Scarlet Steel Rock they collected each day. He also gave prisoners three days to collect their share if they failed to offer enough on a particular day. The block’s inmates very much appreciated his understanding and generosity.

Yang Wu, on the other hand, did not bother himself with such trivial issues, preferring to spend his time cultivating. In fact, he holed himself up in the stone hut after his victory over Bei Zi and Fei Leng, spending three days cultivating in the horse stance.

The Dragon Turtle Water Suppression Stance was a powerful variation of the horse stance, one which allowed the cultivator to absorb water-attributed Profound Energy. After combining the stance with the Supreme Nine Profound Art, he was able to access the very essence of the technique.

After he held the stance for the past three days, the energy rushing through his twelve meridians began to vibrate with a warning chime. He could feel himself on the verge of experiencing another instance of the Sweeping Melodious Energy, though he had already experienced it fourteen times. He had reached the peak of the Superior Grade Foot Soldier Realm and knew he was only one stone away from becoming a Consumate Grade Foot Soldier. However, he suppressed the vibration this time, redirecting the water-attributed Profound Energy toward his two Yongquan acupoints, forcing them open.

The energy swirled around the two acupoints as it gathered, transferring strength to Yang Wu’s legs while stimulating his Yang-attributed energy at the top of his head. This process, which was highly beneficial to a cultivator’s physique, vigorously increased his vitality.

The Yongquan points were major acupoints in the human body connected to the kidney meridian. With strong kidneys, one would have strong Yang-attributed energy.

The energy sparked in the pair of Yongquan acupoints, circulating between his dantian and major meridians. As the energy roared through his body, it burst through the other acupoints in his feet. Soon, Yang Wu’s Dadun, Taichong, Taibai, and other acupoints in the area—a total of sixteen—opened. At each, a pool of energy spun counterclockwise as it drained into the acupoints.

Within his peach-pit dantian, the water-attributed Profound Energy was as pure white as fresh milk and as dense as celestial mist, drifting and rising in spirals.

If an expert saw what was happening inside Yang Wu, they would be shocked. Typically, a cultivator had to reach the Warrior Realm before they could begin the process of opening their acupoints.

The young man had not even reached Consummate Grade, yet he had opened several points. Sixteen, in fact! Such success was unheard-of!

Naturally, clearing so many acupoints at once was supposed to be impossible, unless one was born with a particularly suited physique. Obviously, Yang Wu was not so blessed. His success could only be attributed to his cultivation.

As for the energy within his unique dantian, not even General Realm experts could necessarily cultivate such pure Profound Energy.

Most of the energy a cultivator absorbed was natural, impure Profound Energy. The impurities within reduced the amount of strength a cultivator could exert by twenty to thirty percent. A cultivator would need to form a sea of impure Profound Energy—a characteristic of reaching the King Realm—before they could purify it.

In other words, a cultivator could forget about accessing such pure energy until they became a King.

Yang Wu was still only a Foot Soldier, yet he had cultivated such incredibly pure energy. He was one of a kind.

The Supreme Nine Profound Art was not the only contributing factor; the peach pit that now served as Yang Wu’s dantian also had a part to play. The pit’s countless pores allowed him to absorb every wisp of Profound Energy, pulling it into his dantian. As the pit filtered the energy, it transformed, becoming some of the purest Profound Energy in the world.

This was his blessing, the key factor that had altered his fate.

In three short days and with the Dragon Turtle Water Suppression Stance, the young man had attracted a spring of energy that cleansed his body. Although he still wore the uniform of a prisoner, the filth had been removed, revealing a suave appearance and noble air that he could no longer conceal.

And now, he could sense the water’s power as he began to practice the Dragon Turtle Sea Flipping Art.

With his eyes closed, he stood on the tips of his toes, hunching forward like a dragon turtle with a wavelike momentum. He opened his left hand, keeping his palm rigid, and curled his right into a fist. Rocking like the sea’s powerful waves, he resembled a mighty dragon.

Absorbed in his recollection of the old turtle man’s movements, he imitated what he had observed with his eyes still closed. At first, the movement was stiff and awkward, but after an hour or so, he started to feel the flow. Two hours later, he could execute the moves as if they were second nature.

For the rest of the day, his palm strikes seemed to cause gusts of wind, while his punches appeared to ripple the air. Finally, he showed some semblance of power.

Coming back to his senses, he looked pleased. Eyes gleaming, he said to himself, “Just as I thought. I have to master the Water Suppression Stance before I can cultivate the Dragon Turtle Sea Flipping Art. Even as just a Foot Soldier, I can already imitate such a powerful move. Once I’m stronger, I’ll have access to ten or twenty percent of its power, and by then, I’ll even be able to suppress opponents more powerful than I am.”

Grrrr, rumble…!

Yang Wu’s stomach began to growl, interrupting his thoughts. It sounds like my stomach is starting to protest the lack of food over the past few days, he thought, laughing to himself.

Leaving the stone hut, he found Xiaoman waiting for him. She had not dared to venture far in case her new master needed her.

The young woman had spent the past few days playing with Sooty, so she had not been bored. However, every now and then, the pup had disappeared for several hours, always returning with some fruit and strange herbs. Xiaoman had eaten one or two of the fruits but saved the rest for Yang Wu.

The pup was not happy and often whimpered at her as if urging her to eat more. Every time, however, she petted the dog tenderly, explaining, “I’m sure the Young Master will be hungry after cultivating for so long. This food will help satisfy that hunger.”

In truth, Xiaoman was unaware of how valuable those rare fruits and herbs were. They might not be top-grade spiritual fruits or herbs, but they were more than enough to strengthen the body and enhance an average person’s constitution.

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Every time Xiaoman ate one of Sooty’s gifts, she felt a warm, comfortable sensation in her lower abdomen. The food was far superior to the daily rations prisoners usually earned, and she felt a little spoiled.

[TL Note: The dantian is said to be located in the lower abdomen, about two to three fingers’ width below the navel. The warm, comfortable sensation in Xiaoman’s lower abdomen might be a prelude to the development of her dantian.]

Excited to see him finally emerge, Xiaoman ran up and greeted Yang Wu. “Young Master, you must be hungry. Come and try the fruits Sooty brought.”

The moment he saw the fruits and herbs in her hands, his eyes lit up with excitement, and he cried out in delight, “Wild snow pear, fire cherry, and a sorrel leaf?!”

Yang Wu had read all sorts of ancient texts since his youth. Naturally, he needed to familiarize himself with various wild herbs and fruits. Spotting these would ensure he did not miss an opportunity to become a stronger cultivator and warrior. Hence, he recognized the types of fruit and herbs with one glance.

Wild snow pears grew from a tree that liked to cling to the edge of cliffs. Since the tree would receive constant rainfall and absorb natural spiritual energy throughout the year, the fruit it bore was particularly sweet. These pears had natural cooling and strengthening effects on the body.

[TL Note: One key feature of traditional Chinese medicine is the balance of energy and the elements. Aside from the five elements, there exists a concept of duality, like Yin and Yang, light and dark, and in this case, hot and cold. The Chinese believe that all food has an attribute of heating or cooling, and eating too much of one type results in an imbalance, causing illness.]

In contrast, the fire cherry introduced a gentle heat. Consuming these also improved one’s strength and physique, but they also raised one’s spirit and boosted libido.

The sorrel leaf cleared the meridians and dantian, which held the most benefit for those embracing the path of cultivation.

These fruits and herbs might not be overly difficult to find, but in a forsaken place like the mountain prison, they were nonexistent. Sooty had proven itself to be extraordinarily capable to acquire these so easily.

Woof woof! The pup grumbled, clearly unhappy. It had delivered these gifts to Xiaoman, not Yang Wu.

The young man did not reach out to accept the offered bounty. Rather, he offered the pup a flattering smile. “Surely, you won’t leave me out, Sooty? Don’t I get a share?”

The little black dog merely rolled its eyes and settled against Xiaoman’s chest. Relaxed, it closed its eyes and ignored Yang Wu.

“You mustn’t value lust over your friends, you know. Don’t forget that I was the one who dug you out of the rocks, Sooty,” he pointed out, frustrated.

Xiaoman’s chest is rather flat, but nevertheless, that spot is a sensitive area on a lady. How can a dog claim it like this?!

Unable to watch further, Yang Wu turned away. Xiaoman was his handmaid, after all. If anyone got to lie on her, it should be him.

Yang Wu had noticed Xiaoman’s beauty. Not even the soot on her face and her disguise could hide her natural charm. And besides, he reckoned her chest would continue to develop.

Still ignoring Yang Wu, the little dog pawed at Xiaoman’s shirt, and the movement caused a soft blush to color her fair skin.

“Stop moving, Sooty!” she said, lightly swatting the pup on the head. She then returned her attention to Yang Wu. “Young Master, please accept these fruits.”

The young man patted her on the head. “Sooty gave you those, so you should keep them.” He then continued, “Xiaoman, I’d like to teach you a profound art. That way, these fruits’ and herbs’ medicinal effects won’t go to waste. It will also help you become an outstanding cultivator.”

Yang Wu was not stupid. He could guess what Sooty intended by giving these items to Xiaoman The dog wanted the young woman to follow the path of cultivation; it would not have given her such precious medicinal items otherwise. All of the fruits and herbs specifically targeted certain aspects important to cultivators.

This only further convinced him that Sooty was an especially intelligent sapient spirit.

“Can…can I really do that?” Xiaoman asked in a trembling voice.

Cultivators were well-respected the world over, and this respect was not gender-specific. However, like Skinny Monkey, she had come from humble beginnings. She had never even considered cultivation. Hence, she was a little flabbergasted by Yang Wu’s offer.

Just as the young man was about to reply, Sooty leaped from Xiaoman’s arms, growling and bearing its teeth at something in the distance.

Neither of the inmates had ever seen the pup act so ferociously, and it shocked them.

Suddenly, they both heard wolf howls fill the air.

Awwooooo…!

Wolf spirits had burst into block 68.

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